IMDB Top 250: #250 – Before Sunset

250 films, 250 reviews. This is a pretty crazy idea, but who doesn’t love a challenge? Here at Cultured Vultures we’ll be counting down the IMDb Top 250 with a review for each from one of our dedicated film writers. Everything from Goodfellas to Casablanca will be covered over the next year or so for you film lovers to enjoy. You can’t say we don’t spoil you, you lovely lot. – Ashley, Project Lead

***

In 1995, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy played two young people who meet on a train and have a whirlwind romance that lasts a night, after nine years being left with all the “could have been’s”, the couple meet again in Paris in 2004 on an encounter that leaves them with 80 minutes to unravel their feelings. Directed by Richard Linklater, Before Sunset is the middle segment of three films, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight. They are each set 9 years apart and cleverly each filmed 9 years apart. Before Sunset received worldwide positive attention, particularly in regards to its writing. The screenplay itself was nominated for an Oscar. Some critics argue that a lot of its strength came from having the actors have a hand in writing the script and there is certainly an undeniably genuine air to the dialogue.

So the real crux of the matter, did I like this film? Well, I admired it, yes. Respected it, yes. I’d also happily recommend it to any cinephile as an example of exemplary film making. Truth be told though, I did not enjoy watching it. The film is undeniably clever. It is shot simply against a beautiful Parisian backdrop, largely using tracking shots focusing on the two main characters as they have essentially an 80 minute conversation. It’s wonderful how they use such long shots, with the longest uninterrupted sequence being a whole 11 minutes. It allows us to really get an eye into how wonderful the acting is. Stanisvlaski would be proud of the naturalism. It’s clever and it’s beautiful.

However, this is also its falling point. It’s kind of hard to make an 80 minute conversation interesting, even though there are some excellent little moments, particularly with Celine, I LOVE the line “The love of your life? The concept is absurd. The idea that we can only be complete with another person is evil! Right?!”.  At the end of the day, it’s a wonderful snapshot but it just doesn’t have that storytelling factor that I, for one, need to keep me entertained. The whole premise of the film is reflection with an undercurrent of “will he stay with her or will he go?”: a fairly tried and tested story yes, but with most of these the outcome is hooked on some degree of character development. For example, he’s a commitment phobic crimelord who is preparing to give up a life of crime for her but then is offered the crime of the century which he takes up, only for the bad guys to kidnap her before he realises he loves her and that some things are more important than money. That character development is interesting and sure, a character might have an epiphany or two in 80 minutes but we don’t see them truly develop which kind of gives me no real reason to care.

As I have already mentioned, the acting in this film is superb. The two actors in the lead roles have a very natural rapport with each other that only heightens the believability. Nothing is overdone, everything is simplistic and realistic and I find it easy to see how people who enjoy this film could fall in love with the characters. There is something so real about them that you can not help but want them to have a happily ever after, just because you want happily ever afters to be realistic too. Part of me wants to watch all three films back to back so that I might get a chance to really buy into their story but I’ve seen a trailer for the last one and to be honest, I love the way these films seem to end on a question mark and sometimes I think question marks a left best unanswered. I love the battle that goes on in my head when I’m wanting them to have a happy ending but at the same time kind of not because I love the film for its honesty and that just wouldn’t feel honest at all.

Overall, I would say watch this film if you want to see a fantastic and breathtaking bit of filmmaking but if you’re big on entertainment value, you probably won’t find it here.

 

Note: the IMDb Top 250 Cultured Vultures are using is based on the standings from the 16th of November. Inconsistencies may apply.